Dead Popular
by Captain Howdy 611
Summary: She was beginning to realise something about her friendship with the other kids of the cul-de-sac, and she did not like it one bit." COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer - I own diddly Squat_

_A/N - My second fanfic (if you don't count Pett'ED, my brother's story - if you havn'rt R&R that one then please go do it, my bro is only 10 and loves to get praise for his work, please? as favour to me??) and this time it's a proper story - I tend to suck at stories, poetry is far more my forte, but this is a short fic about Nazz (yes, I know, she is not the most popular of the kids - specially amongst us ladies, but hey, there is not all that much about her here, and don't worry, this is most definatly NOT a romance in any way, shape or form), so I hope u enjoy _

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**Dead Popular  
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They'd never really fought this way before. Sure, they had bickered and argued, usually about her 'friendliness' toward the other boys in the cul- de-sac – including the Eds, who she knew he hated with a passion, or about his immaturity when it came to the way he bullied the other kids in the cul- de-sac – especially those younger than him. But fights like these always subsided, and they were over just as soon as they had started. Nazz was only too aware of her power over Kevin. All it took was a flutter of her dark eyelashes or a flick of her golden locks and he was right back in the palm of her hand.  
  
This time however was different. This time she knew that shy glances in his direction and the hint of a smile that played upon her lips were not going to be enough. This time she had gone too far.  
  
She sat on the swings of the playground, which had long since been deserted by the neighbourhood kids in favour of the latest scam that was up for offer courtesy of the Eds, and idly swung her feet so clouds of dust rose from the barren ground beneath her. She sighed and looked up to the clear sky as the events of that afternoon clouded her mind. Admittedly, Kevin was not totally at fault. She knew he hated the Eds, and she knew how much it annoyed him to watch her casually work her magic on the three boys, but Kevin's jealousy had simply got out of hand this time. She could still hear the words that passed between them as she argued with him, careless, throwaway comments which now both of them probably regretted.  
  
She felt her vision blur as fresh tears began to well in her eyes. Kevin was supposed to be her best friend, and even though she knew that he was being too possessive of her to be considered comfortable, she still felt the loss of his presence. Deciding that sitting here and dwelling on her troubles was not about to get her anywhere, she thought about who to grace with her presence for the next few hours – she was Nazz, the most popular girl in the cul-de-sac, the girl that every boy would fall at her feet for just to get her attention! Surely she would have no problems in finding someone else to spend the afternoon with!  
  
She brushed the remaining tears from her eyes and jumped off the swing in search of Sarah – the only other girl in the neighbourhood who Nazz could talk to. Sure, the Kanker Sisters lived a short distance away in the 'Park 'n' Flush' trailer park, but she didn't think she would ever befriend any of the three girls. Lee was by far too intense; Marie was too violent and May... May was just plain weird. Add to that the fact that the sisters held a grudge against Nazz ever since they discovered that their 'boyfriends' held Nazz in such high esteem, while thinking that the Kankers themselves were – as Ed would have put it – she-devils of the underworld. The Kankers were the only real enemies that Nazz had ever held, though they had never really posed much of a threat to her before, as long as she stayed out of their reach they would basically ignore her. They felt that Nazz thought that they were better than they were – and to be brutally honest Nazz agreed with them. After all, she was the 'it' girl of the cul-de-sac, and they were just trailer park trash.  
  
She finally spotted Sarah rushing toward her house holding an injured Jimmy in her arms.  
"It's ok Jimmy – we just need some band aids on that arm and you'll be good as new!" exclaimed Sarah as she cradled the pale boy in her arms. Nazz smiled softly at Sarah's commitment and motherly attitude toward Jimmy, who was currently fighting back tears following what looked to be a grazed arm which had probably been gained while he joined Sarah in her games, which were usually a little too rough for her fragile companion to handle. This was not to suggest that she didn't care about him though, Nazz knew how much Sarah and Jimmy were a sound partnership and that they were rarely ever seen apart, and although she had not let this show, Nazz was actually quite jealous of their friendship. She watched Sarah carry her playmate into her house and slam the door. With Sarah being the only other girl in the cul-de-sac, Nazz often thought that the two of them should have been best friends, but instead Sarah had chosen Jimmy. Nazz guessed that this was because Jimmy appealed to Sarah's more maternal side – as well as being easily swayed into doing anything that she wanted to do, as Sarah sure had one hot temper if she did not get her own way. However, she and Sarah were usually on good terms, and Sarah often came to Nazz in order to receive the older and more world wise girl's advice on things that Jimmy could not offer his own opinion on, such as when Sarah had arrived at Nazz's doorstep only a few weeks ago in order to inquire as to what she should do about a certain boy that she had a crush on at the time. Of course, Nazz didn't need to ask who this boy was – it was pretty obvious to everyone that Sarah still held a candle for a particular Ed, but Nazz knew that the only reason that Sarah had come to her for advice was because if she'd mentioned it to Jimmy then he would become jealous, just like last time Sarah revealed her crush on Double D.  
  
Nazz thought about ringing the doorbell of Sarah's home and offering her services in nursing Jimmy back to health, but soon gave up on the idea. Sarah was possessive at the best of times, and had often acted hostile toward Nazz for stealing the affections of Edd away from her; it would not bode well if Nazz started to turn her attentions toward Jimmy as well.  
  
She looked at the ground as she made her way sullenly through the deserted street, dragging her feet behind her as she walked. She heard laughter above her head and looked up to find Johnny perched upon a low hanging branch of the old oak tree that stood in front of his house. She giggled softly,  
"Climbing trees again Johnny?" looking at Johnny, her deep blue eyes shimmering with amusement.  
"Hey Nazz! Me and Plank were just picking acorns... Would you like an acorn pretty Nazz?" Nazz smiled broadly  
"Sure Johnny" she purred, she knew that, like many of the other boys in the cul-de-sac, Johnny was far from immune to her irresistible charms. A small pink blush grew across Johnny's tanned cheeks as he handed Nazz a handful of small, shiny acorns which she then stuffed into her pocket. Johnny had always been a mystery to Nazz – not to mention the rest of the kids in the cul-de-sac. She looked at Plank who was being dutifully carried by Johnny's left arm and frowned. How could anyone get so attached to an inanimate object? True – Johnny had never been the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, and he was defiantly more than a little disturbing, but the passionate way that he carried around that piece of timber was almost enough to make Nazz jealous. What? A small argument with Kevin and suddenly she was jealous of a plank of wood with a, somewhat taunting grin, painted on it's smooth surface.  
  
She looked back to Johnny and noticed that his blush had grown even further across his cheeks and he was beginning to look more than a little nervous.  
"Uh, me and plank have to go now N-Nazz... See you round" Johnny stuttered and hopped off the branch before scampering toward his house. Nazz sighed.  
"Guess that means I won't be hanging round with Johnny today" she said quietly to herself. She was beginning to realise something about her friendship with the other kids of the cul-de-sac, and she did not like it one bit.

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_There you have it, the first chapter of what will probably be about 2 or 3 at most. Please R&R, I'm not totally sure wether to carry on with the story - so I'll decide from ur feedback._

_Oh! and I'll take this chance to thank everyone for their very kind reviews of "Expressions" It means a lot to know that people like my work _


	2. Chapter 2

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_Disclaimer - I STILL own diddly squat_

_A/N - Here we go, a second chapter - thank you kindly for all your reviews They gave me the drive to write the second of the three chapters I have decided to type up. So ENJOY!_

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Dead Popular**  
  
Her legs grew tired as she headed toward the lane in search of someone's company. After her visits to Sarah and Johnny had proved unfruitful, she thought about returning to the clearing where the Eds had set up their latest (and in Eddy's opinion greatest) scam that morning in the hope that they were still there, waiting to pounce upon the next unsuspecting passer by to try out their 'Triple E Go-Karting'. Nazz knew that re-visiting the eds could prove a set back if she were to re-cement her friendship with Kevin anytime soon, but the street was so deserted at the moment – what choice did she have?  
  
Her only comforting thoughts at the moment were that, possibly, just possibly Kevin was feeling as bad, if not worse, than she was about their latest difference of opinion. However, as she passed by Rolf's house this thought was soon proved to be wrong.  
  
The thought had crossed her mind to visit Rolf, but out of all the kids in the cul-de-sac, Rolf had always been the one who Nazz had never really seen eye to eye with. Not because they did not act friendly toward each other – Nazz found Rolf and his random sayings to be a real charm, but Rolf was possibly the only boy in the cul-de-sac (aside from Jimmy) who had never really felt any of the effects of her feminine ways, Possibly due to his advance in years over her own, or maybe because the lines of flirting did not cross cultural boundaries, Rolf usually had to strain himself to understand 'go-go Nazz girl's trendy expressionisms' – but whatever it was, Nazz could not receive the same reaction from Rolf than she could from the other kids. Besides, Nazz did not think that she could stomach any stories of Rolf's Great Nano's battle against her ingrown toenail today, or any of the other disturbing health problems that surrounded Rolf's extended family.  
  
But now, as she passed by his drive she saw Kevin and Rolf – instead of having a heart to heart about how to win back Nazz's affections – enjoying a chaste game of basketball before Rolf was needed to return to his chores. Nazz stopped briefly to watch the foreign boy frown as his shorter companion fell about in laughter after rebounding the ball so that it hit the unsuspecting Rolf on the back of the head. Her eyes narrowed as she realised that he wasn't hopelessly upset about their argument as she had expected, in fact he didn't seem phased at all. Kevin stopped laughing when he saw her slim form across the street looking straight toward him and briefly held her gaze before turning back to Rolf with a cry of  
"Hey Rolf, up for another round?" Nazz span on her heels and ran into the entrance of the lane as fresh, angry tears began to escape her eyes. What was it with Kevin? She was the most popular girl in the neighbourhood! He should be lucky that she should even consider talking to him! And yet, when he was with Rolf or any of his other – more important friends – he looked right through her, as though she were simply an accessory that he could adorn upon his arm to make himself took even better than before, and then sitting back to absorb all of the jealous glances shot in his direction with a smug grin.  
  
She didn't even realise how far she had run until she heard a familiar shrill voice barking out commands to his two friends who were milling around his feet trying manically to remove all evidence of their morning's venture. Nazz guessed from the panicked expressions they each wore while rushing round could have only been emitted from one source – Sarah. She smiled inwardly  
"Guess now I know how Jimmy hurt his arm," she said softly. She watched in fascination of how effective Eddy's leadership skills really could be, and marvelled as to how obedient both Double D and Ed were in following his commands. The Eds were the misfits of the cul-de-sac. She knew that quite well, but still there was a certain presence about them which meant that she could not condemn them as easily as the other kids of the cul-de-sac seemed to.  
  
Eddy did not notice her presence until she tapped him gently on the shoulder  
"What!?! Can't you see I'm busy here???" yelled Eddy  
"Sorry dude" Nazz said softly. Eddy turned round and suddenly the steely look that had once graced his face was replaced with an extremely nervous expression.  
"H-H-Hey N-N-Nazz... What's up" as once again his expression changed, this time forming a smug smile "Still mad at ol' bazooka chin huh?" Nazz giggled at the familiar nickname that Eddy had often given to Kevin in the past. She gazed at Eddy innocently, out of the three Eds, Eddy was always the first to succumb to her feminine charms, but as she stood in front of him, a voice in the back of her mind told her that Eddy was no better than Kevin. Suddenly, she realised that this voice was right! Why else would Eddy ask about Kevin immediately if not to prove to his own ego that the hottest girl in the cul-de-sac was right here, talking to him, and not talking to his rival. Eddy's ego had always proved a problem to Nazz. Sure, at first his comments of self-reverence seemed cute, but after time anyone would think that he actually thought all the words he spoke to be true – and Nazz whole-heartedly believed that he did. However, Eddy had always proved to be a very useful element when it came to getting her own way when it came to Kevin. Their bitter rivalry was exactly what she needed in order to bring Kevin round to her way of thinking.  
  
Now, however, Nazz was beginning to realize that it was not her that used Kevin and Eddy to her own advantage, but rather it was they who exploited her in order to fit in with their own childish games of rivalry.  
  
"Yeh, I guess so" Nazz half heartedly stated in reply to Eddy's question. She again focused her eyes on Eddy, who she could see was becoming more nervous by the minute. A crimson blush had spread across his already naturally flushed features and she noticed his hands were trembling slightly. A small smile played across her lips as she watched his reaction, and this was enough to scare the poor guy off completely  
"Excuse me, I think I hear my... uh... phone... yeah... bye Nazz..." eddy stammered before making a hasty retreat in the direction that Nazz had just emerged from. Nazz frowned. 'Is this going to happen with everyone today?' she wondered.  
  
She was suddenly jarred from her thoughts as she heard a commotion a little to her left. Ed had apparently found an easier way of removing the 'Go Karting' sign than the method that Double D had suggested by simply breaking off one of the thin supports holding the sign in place  
"The sign is down Eddy!" bellowed Ed as the pieces of coloured card and wood that had been used to create the sign fell to the ground around him, and he stood in place with a vacant grin, apparently awaiting the next set of orders from Eddy without noticing that his leader had disappeared. Nazz smiled at Ed, he really was a sweet guy, and always able to make her laugh. She had always felt it a little unfair, the way that the other kids underestimated Ed. Sure, he wasn't exactly bright, but still, Nazz could tell that deep down he had good intentions. And, if her thoughts of him were true, that meant that he at least could provide some comfort to her. She walked up to the large boy and waved slightly  
"Hi Ed"  
"Hello Nazz!" Ed grinned. Nazz smiled to herself – well, at least he hasn't run off yet she thought to herself. She was about to launch into a full scale explanation of her problems (she knew that Ed probably would not understand most of what she had to say, but somehow that was better than if he were able to comprehend every word she said. At least this way she could be listened to without having to worry about being judged) when she was interrupted by the shouts of the third of the group.  
"Ed! That is not how you were supposed to take down the sign! Look at the mess you've made now! You had better clean all of this up mister!"  
  
Nazz sighed. It looked as though she was not about to get her time alone with Ed after all.  
"I am sorry Double D, but it is ok! For I have a shovel." shouted Ed as he produced a shovel from beneath the pile of rubble he had created and began digging the Earth around it muttering "dig and hole, dig a hole" with each movement. Double D watched Ed tiredly before turning his attentions toward Nazz  
"Sorry if he was causing you any bother Nazz, but you know Ed, he just can't help himself sometimes..." Nazz's concentration wavered as Double D continued apologising for Ed and for the state of the lane around him. She couldn't help it. There was something about Double D's voice that just begged to be ignored, besides, Nazz could never understand half of the things he said anyway. Whenever she was in front of Double D she knew exactly how Ed felt when he couldn't quite understand what was going on around him.  
"Nazz? Are you ok?" she was suddenly awoken from her thoughts at the sound of her name  
"Sorry Double D? What did you say"  
"I said are you ok? It looks as though you've been crying..." Nazz gently reached up and touched her own cheek before holding her hand in front of her eyes and seeing the back smudges which now adorned her fingertips. Apparently her mascara had run down her face when she had been crying earlier. Why hadn't any of the others noticed it? The answer was clear to her – the kids of the cul-de-sac hadn't noticed because they hadn't bothered to notice. To them, Nazz was simply the neighbourhood 'it girl' – the cul-de-sac eye candy, they did not feel that she had any real emotions of her own at all. She felt her eyes sting with tears and before she could control herself she had grabbed Double D and began sobbing onto his slender shoulder. Double D was visibly shocked by this action and as Nazz clung tighter to his red shirt he nervously tried to calm her broken spirit. Nazz was, at first, endlessly grateful of the slight boy's compassion. Double D was always the reconciler of the cul-de-sac, and to many the backbone of the whole structure of the neighbourhood hierarchy. Always caring, always dishing out brilliant advice, always polite. Her eyes rapidly flew open at her last thought. Always polite. She suddenly pushed herself away from Edd and looked at him suspiciously. He fixed his concerned gaze upon her; emerald eyes glazed with sympathy, and tried to hide the expression of utter discomfort that he could feel creeping upon his face. Double D had never been much good at disguising his emotions. Nazz had always wondered about Double D's compassion toward many of the kids in the cul-de-sac. It had always seemed too good to be true. That one boy could be so understanding toward the very people who usually judged him, simply because he was different to them. But her earlier thoughts had been right. Double D was always polite. Polite enough to listen, polite enough to give advice, but not always polite enough to be completely sincere. She glared at him.  
"You're just like all the others! Don't pretend you're not because you are!" Double D simply stared with a stunned expression as she performed this outburst of rage before racing back down the lane toward her home. Double D sighed. He didn't think he'd ever understand women...

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_So there you have it! What is Nazzy gonna do now? I'm glad that you feel I've breathed some life into Nazz's charecter coz that is what i was hoping to achieve with this fic. Please R&R to inspire me to write more runs off to retrieve video that has hopefully taped all of today's 12 hour EE'n'E marathon..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer - I still own diddly squat_

_A/N - The third chapter, I really didnt expect to get this done today, but I guess once my mind gets going there is no stopping it, so enjoy _

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Dead popular  
  
The feeling of her cheeks burning was familiar to her now. She slammed the door to her bedroom and dove to the floor in a heap of tears and blind fury. Why hadn't she ever seen this before? How could she have been so blind as to see that the kids of the cul-de-sac – her friends – did not really care for her at all? She was the most popular girl in the neighbourhood – and yet she was also the most desperately alone. Kevin used her as a means of gaining popularity for himself. Sarah used her to gain her advice – but only when she did not have any better source. Both Ed and Rolf did not understand her. Eddy used her as a way of needling Kevin and Double D could pretend to be as compassionate as he could, but Nazz knew that it was only his stifling politeness that allowed him to do this.  
  
Tears fell down her cheeks once again. Tiny liquid spheres of pain that washed over her and blurred her mind of any rational or clear thought. She reached beneath her bed and pulled out a small book. She loved to write. It was one of the only things that Nazz truly had a passion for. She grabbed a nearby pen and wrote down whatever thoughts her mind could conjure.  
  
A few hours ago, I stood here and I thought I had it all  
But I've realised something about you and it's made me fall  
Into the hands of death and despair  
And all these people look right through me  
It's as though to them I'm not really there...  
  
Wouldn't expect you to hear my cries, my desperate calls  
As nothingness hit when you broke down my walls  
No expressions left to play upon my face  
So all you people can walk right through me  
You see I've fallen from your grace...  
  
And now I know I'm nothing that you'd be interested in  
Unless I bury all the sadness and the worthlessness within  
And once I paint my smile on, hold myself up tall  
Suddenly I am seen again but still I feel so small  
Because I know as you look through me  
To you I've never really been here at all...  
  
She stopped and read through what she had just written. Whenever she was writing poetry it was as though her mind completely let go and her hands shifted into automatic as they moved swiftly over the paper forming words and lines that she barely even recognised once she had finished. Usually she wrote poems of love, of beauty and of... lies. This sudden thought seemed to startle her as she realised that is exactly what her past writings had been based on. Lies. Ideals and fantasies of a fictional paradise that she had created in her own mind. A place where she was the perfect person she had always craved to be, she had all of the friends that she could ever need, and where all of the people around her craved for her attention. But, as she read through her most recent piece of work she realised that her reality couldn't be any more different, and that it was not the people around her that craved attention, it was she herself who was desperate for approval. She looked at the words on the page in front of her, and to be honest they scared her. It scared her that such dark and sinister things could have escaped from her own mind, which she had always believed to be so pure. She collapsed in a trembling heap on the floor. She must have been loosing it; She must have been – otherwise she wouldn't have to face up to the reality that was so very different to the sanctuary that had kept her so safe in her own mind, the reality that showed things for what whey really are, the reality that she hated. Sapphire eyes, now haunted with tears rested on an object in the far corner of the room that was shining brightly as it reflected the light of the sun that streamed through her window, and was the only path she could see to her own destiny.  
  
"She was a friend of mine from when I lived in Peach Creek – Nazz she was called, beautiful girl huh?" Kevin explained to his new roommate who had just picked up the small frame that had been sitting on Kevin's desk. The frame held an old, worn photograph of a blonde, pretty girl in her early teens alongside a much younger version of Kevin. Next to the photograph was a sheet of paper with her handwriting scrawled all over it. A poem.   
"It was always a tragedy, what happened to Nazz – she had the ability to go far" Kevin sadly continued as he drew his gaze away from the old frame that he held so dear to his heart.   
"What happened?" his roommate questioned   
"She died when we were young. Not long after this photo was taken. Doctors said it was suicide, though they never really told us how. They gave me this poem, said she had been holding it in her hand when they found her."   
"Man, I'm sorry" apologised his friend. He again took the frame in his hands and read through the words of the poem. "Sounds as though she felt lonely" he concluded softly   
"Yeah, that's something I've never been able to get. No one could understand why she felt that way. To me she had always seemed dead popular..."

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_And there you have it! The completed thing. Sorry if I've been mean to the other charecters, but I love them all really, the way they were portrayed was just so that it would suit Nazz's state of mind at the time - I personally still love 'em to bits thanks for all the reviews_


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